Mechanical stoker for locomotive-boilers.



v J. H LOWE. MECHANICAL STOKEB. FOR LOGOMOTIVE BOILERS.

, APPLI OATION FILED JULY 10, 1908. 924,364.

Paten ted June 8,1909.

2 8HEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOH JHLLU WE.

. WITNESSES v J. H. LOWE. MECHANICAL STOKBR FOR LOGOMOTIVE BOILERS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10 1908.

924,364. Patented June 8, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIS M JosErH HIRAM'LOWE, or sr. JEROME, QUEBEC, CANADA.

MECHANICAL STOKEB FOR LOCOMOTIVE-BOILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented June 8 1909.

.Application filed July 10, 1908. Seria1No. 442,988.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPE HIRAM Lowe,

of St. Jerome, in the Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers for Locomotive-Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mechanical stokers for locomotive boilers and the objects of my invention are to pro.-

. vide a simple and efficient device of this class which may be easily and readily disconnected to permit of ordinary hand firing and it consists essentially of the improved construction hereinafter more fully 'set forth and described in the accompanying specification and drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside-view partially in section of the rear cabin of a locomotive and tender e nipped with my stoke-r. Fig. 2 is a top p an view also partially in section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail with thefiring door open. Fig; 4 is an enlarged perspective detail through the connection between the fuel bin andthe conveyer. on the line 2'2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the connecting member between the fuel bin and the conveyor.-

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure. A represents the cabin of the locomotive and B thetendef thereof;

shape door thereof. In accordance with my invention, this door is made in the form of a hollow shell and has at the top thereof a chute a which is connected to a conveyer tube E which has an apertureb immediately above the chute. In order to permit the free 0 ening of the door it is necessary to make t is connection of a swiveling character and while a variety of different swivels may-be employed, the one I have illustrated consists ofarod 0 connected to the door, having an eyelet d on the top thereof, through which a rod 2 connected to the conveyer tube extends, the said'rod having a plurality of notches f therein, by means of which the door may be held in a partially open position. I

also form a flange 9 around the. aperture G represents the fire oox and D the hopperendof the tube E will thus be supported by the rod 0 as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

Within the door D are a plurality of discharging plates h securedto a transverse shaft 'i which is connected by a suitable coupling 3' with a shaft is journaled on the' sides of the boiler head, and suitably connected to a prime motor F which may be operated by steam, gas, electricity or other source of ower.

Beneat 1 the distributing arms and pivoted to the lower edge of the door is a spreader G, adapted, when the door is closed, to remain in substantially horizontal position, and having the inner end I bifurcated and upturned, whereby the fuel thrown by the d15- 'tribu'ting late will'be evenly spread. This spreader 19s a weighted arm m. extending outwardly therefrom,which is adapted to swing it into av'ertical position when the door opens To brin it again into a horizontal position on the c osing of the door a projection n is provided adapted to engage the edge of the opening in the boiler hea The coupling 1' herein mentioned, will be of any simple type which; may be quickly and easily disconnected and connected and its construction beingwell known in the art need not be hereinfurther described.

Within the conveyor tube E is located a spiral conveyor H, supported on a shaft 15,

' the one end of which has a sprocket g thereon connected by a chain 1' or other gearing with a pulley on the axle of one of the pair of careels. This pulley will be thrown in and out of gear wit the axle by means of a suitable clutch (not shown), the said clutch being operated by'a chain It connected by a rod to operable from the front of the tender.

The inner end of the conveyer tube has a swiveling connection with the tender, that shown comprisin a lug o connected to the conveyer tube, w ich ispivoted to a rod w sup orted from the bottom of the. tender wit freedom to rotate. Through the upper side of the conveyer tube and within the fuel bin I an aperture x is provided for the entrance of fuel, the said aperture being opened and closed by a tube J extending about the conveyer tube and having an aperture y therein corresponding to the a erture 9:. This outer tube J has connected t ereto external to the tender, a hand lever 2 by means of which'it might be rotated. The tubeJ will also have a transverse slot therein, through which the lug 1) will extend, the said 35 spread the fuel on the fire bed.

' slot beingsuflicient' to permit of the free ro tation of the tube. I Owing to thejolting of the tender, it is necessarg to have a more or less flexible con- 5 nection etween the conveyer tube and thefuel bin, and this I form by means of a con,- necting member-K consisting of a rectangu- I lar frame, having sides L-shaped in cross:

I section, the sides being adapted to ,fit exactly '10' Within a chute L.supported separate from the conveyer tube and emptying into the aperture thereof, the tube J however, ex-

tending between'the bottom of the chute-and the cbnveyertube, The conveyor E is'prefl5 erably connected toone side of the center of the fuel bin whereby the other side will be freeand clear for hand firing. The top face of,the frame is adapted to abut'the underside of the bottom of the fuel bin, which has an aperture- 6 adapted to empty into the chute, To retain the connecting member in'position, projections 7,,8'and 9 are provided, which engage piates or flanges 10, 11 and 12 respectively, secured-to-the bottom of the fuel bin.

In operation, when the door is closed, and

' the ports arein the relative position shown in'Fig. 1, the spiral conve er lscontinuously rotated through the me ium of the prime motor, and thiscauses the fuel to be carried from the coal bin and emptied intothe chute a, whence it passes into the hopper-shaped door 1), and is distributed by the rotating arm h, therspreader G operating to evenly Should the apparatus clog, or should it be desirable at any time, to resort to hand firing, the shaft 7c may be rotated to a determined position and the fire door swung open for hand firin 4.0 It will thus be seen that I have devised an exceedingly cheap and simple form of mechanical stokerfor locomotives, which will operate to continuously fire the same, but which will-not interfere with hand firing, if

' this be desirable.

A device of this character is exceedingly important, owing to the increasing size of locomotives, which renders it impossible for a single fireman toproperly fire.

While the invention has beendescribed herein with neat articularity of detail, it will be readily un erstood that in carrying out the constructionof the same, changes, within the scope of'the --ap ended claims,

' may be made therein, wit rout departing from'the spiritof the invention.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a mechanical stoker for locomotive boilers and in combination, a fire box having a suitable opening thereon, a hinged hopper adapted to close the opening and discharge into the fire box, a conveyor connected to the hop er and discharging into the same,

conveyerin communication with a supply of fuel,'means for operating the conveyor, a fixed s reading device hinged to the bottom of the. iopper, a weighted arm thereon ada ted to bring the same into vertical position when the hopper is'opcn, a (projection on the spreading member adapte to engage the edge of the openin of the fire box to hold the s reading member in substantially horia conveyor discharging into the hopper and extending below the fuel bin, and a connecting member slidably engaging the bottom of the fuel bin, and having loose engagement with the conveyer whereby slight relative -movement will be permitted between the end of the conveyer and the connecting member.

3. In a mechanical stoker for locomotive boilers, the-combination of a fire box having an opening therein, a hinged hopper closing the opening, and discharging into the iirc box, a fuel bin, a conveyertube discharging into the hopper and extending toward the fuel bin, a conveyer in the conveyor tube, and means for operating the same, a chute discharging into the inner end of the conveyer, a loose connecting member including a frame formed with'projections thereon and having the upper surface in contact with the bottom of the fuel bin and having the sides engaging the top of the chute, and flanges on the fuel bin engaging the projections on the connecting member.

means or placing the opposite end of the 4. In a mechanical stoker for locomotive boilers, the combination of a fire box having an opening therein, a hinged hopper closing. the o ening and adapted to discharge into the fire box and having an aperture therein, a conveyer tube adapted to discharge into'the aperture, a rod connected to the hopper having an eyelet therein, a rod connected to thGCOIIVGYGI' tube extending through the eyelet and having a plurality of notches formed thereon.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH HIRAM LOWE. Witnesses:

O. W. CAMERON, I RUssEL S. SMART. 

